


Last Hope

by friendofhayley



Category: One Direction (Band)
Genre: Alternate Universe, Alternate Universe - Non-Famous, Fake/Pretend Relationship, Fluff, Harry Styles & Louis Tomlinson are Neighbours, M/M, No Smut, Therapy
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2021-03-01
Updated: 2021-03-01
Packaged: 2021-03-13 01:53:08
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,920
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/29768892
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/friendofhayley/pseuds/friendofhayley
Summary: Louis Tomlinson just wanted to go to sleep until Hot Neighbor Guy asked him for a very mysterious favor. Now he has to stay awake while convincing the most sought out couples therapist that he is in love with Harry Styles.
Relationships: Harry Styles/Louis Tomlinson
Comments: 10
Kudos: 54





	Last Hope

**Author's Note:**

  * For [merrrrrrrrry](https://archiveofourown.org/gifts?recipient=merrrrrrrrry).



> I had big plans for this fic (that involved the Groundhog Day trope) that were swiftly cut down after the big Texas storm. I hope you still like this offering, Merry!
> 
> Thank you to my lovely girlfriend, Natascha, for proofreading this short fic!

Louis was having the worst day.

His roommate, Liam, had sexiled him from the flat last night, and since he’d forgotten that Stan was on his holiday, he had slept on his friend’s doorstep. To top it all off, his phone was dead by the time the crick in his neck woke him up, which meant that his trek back to his flat could be for nothing. 

“Hey, you live in 4B, right?” A husky voice broke Louis out of his cloudy stupor. He was standing in the middle of the hallway, blocking the elevators like a complete nut. “I live right below you, 3B. Moved in a few months ago, uh, think I passed you while you were having a cig.” 

The man standing a few feet away had long tousled hair and red-rimmed green eyes. Louis gaped dumbly, feeling all the aches from his night, as the man wiped a few stray tears with the long sleeve of his sweater.

“Anyway, what I was trying to say was, um. Would you like to make a few quid?”

# ~~~

The vinyl chair cover squeaked as Louis adjusted his legs. The waiting room was dead quiet, save for the turning of pages as Harry pretended to read the newest issue of _People_. He still didn’t know what he was doing following Harry - that was the cute boy’s name - around like a duckling. He looked like a sleepy cat, so he doubted the lad had the intent of murdering him. From the infrequent mumbles Harry supplied him on the way here, it seemed Harry needed a chaperone to an appointment... but for what, Louis hadn’t the slightest clue.

“Styles and Graham?” A middle-aged woman with a duck sweater peeped out from around the corner. From Harry’s frantic shuffling, that was Louis and Harry’s cue.

As soon as they crossed the border of the room, Louis knew this wasn’t a doctor’s appointment. Which he supposed was good, but that didn’t narrow much down. There was a long, tan (uncomfortable-looking) sofa across from a comfy velvet chair. A diffuser and white noise machine blew near the door and a half-dozen windchimes dangled near the ceiling-to-floor windows. It looked more like the classroom Louis teaches his 5-8s than a place to conduct business. 

After a significant look from Harry, Louis rushed to sit by him on the sofa.

“It’s so great to finally meet both of you in person, Harry and Samuel. As you both know, I don’t usually take new clients and especially not on such short notice. But Harry gave quite a compelling case for you both. It’s so rare to see a gay couple that has such a long history… Harry mentioned you both met in primary school? And congratulations on the engagement, of course.”

All trace of tiredness left Louis up upon hearing that, his wide-eyed look completely ignored by Harry, “Yes, thank you so much, Dr. Alexander! We just, um, put so much into this relationship that we want to at least try before giving up on this engagement and our future.” Tears, which were also ignored by Harry, ran down his cheeks as he gestured earnestly to the _couples therapist_.

After passing back and forth some preliminary fake relationship information (apparently they had gotten back together after college due to a dead fish?) Dr. Alexander gave them their first exercise.

“Now, remember boys, this is an exercise for your relationship, not an improv class. Take the time for the words to come to you and don’t feel the need to perform for me.” 

The therapist tittered lightly to herself as Louis turned to meet Harry’s eyes. Frankly, he thought they should look more scared to meet his own. The next task was apparently to make up a letter that they would write to each other’s younger selves before they met.

A few painful and silent seconds went by as Louis tried to get his mind to wake up and get past the fact that he had been duped by Hot Neighbor Guy.

“Samuel?” Dr. Alexander pointed over to him. “Harry mentioned that you do theater so maybe you’d feel more comfortable going first?”

“Uh,” was he helping a heartbroken madman or had Harry orchestrated this whole thing with him in mind? Was it just a coincidence that Louis had gone to school for both drama and education?

“ _Dear Harold,_ ” Louis begins.

“That’s, uh, actually not my name,” Harold interjected slowly, two fingers pinching a surprisingly plump lower lip.

“And I’m not sending this letter to your actual kid self,” Louis snapped, before wincing. Dr. Alexander watched them with a neutral expression as the two men immediately perked up with fake smiles.

“Anway, uh. _I can’t wait to meet you! Obviously, because we’re together and in love_.” Louis wracked his brain for something else to say, while also not knowing anything about his boyfriend. After finding out how exclusive their therapist was, he didn’t want to get Harry blacklisted from seeing her with an actual partner. Obviously. 

He hadn’t been in a relationship longer than a week in years so personal experience was no good. Maybe he could pretend he was writing it to one of his sisters? But in a romantic way? 

Harry sneezed and broke Louis out of his thinking and the tired man frantically wondered how much time had passed. Harry continued to sneeze in a series of small bursts and Louis worriedly caressed his shoulder.

“Get them sneezes out, love.” 

Harry made eye contact, his eyes shining from his sneezes, and replied in a tiny voice, “Sorry, allergies.” 

Louis got lost in those dewy eyes until Dr. Alexander gave a slight cough. Louis blushed, realizing he’d used a pet name. He flung his arm away from his casual touch to Harry before he awkwardly laughed and ruffled the shaved-down back of his head.

“But back to the letter!” Louis coughed for show before diving back in, “ _I know being a kid among adults and siblings might be hard right now. But just know that in time there will be someone who will love you for the curly-haired, unusual boy that you are. He’ll love you for a long time and make you glad to be alive to make the decisions that led to each other. Signed, uh, Samuel Graham._ ”

Louis hoped that was enough. The only two traits he was absolutely sure Harry had was his hair and the fact that he’d really pull a stranger off the street to go to his therapy session.

“Wonderful! Harry, I’d like you to go next before I give you both some feedback.”

Louis let out a quiet sigh of relief. He turned his sharp gaze to the man who had orchestrated this weird play of deception. Harry’s eyes were wet as he looked at Louis as if he was an angel who’d give him the answer to life.

Harry cleared his throat thickly before tearing his eyes away from Louis’, “ _Dear L-little Samuel. I want to thank you, even if we haven’t met yet, for following me that day. I don’t know what I would have done if your older self wasn’t so lovely and trusting. Like kids are, since we met as children._ ” Harry directed his last sentence towards Dr. Alexander. “ _Dearly, Harry Styles_.”

Dr. Alexander glanced at either of them in silence for a moment before raising an eyebrow at Harry, “Am I correct in guessing that the man sitting next to you isn’t Mr. Graham?”

Harry looked like a deer caught during hunting season, “Yes ma’am.”

Dr. Alexander smiled a bit, “Mr. Styles, it would have been perfectly fine if you wanted a session with your new beau after Mr. Graham and you separated. I would have been surprised at how quick the transition was if I wasn’t good at my job. The chemistry between the two of you is absolutely transcendent!” Dr. Alexander handed a flyer for Intimacy Groups for Early Relationships. “Is this what the youths call U-Hauling? One of my lesbian clients mentioned it earlier this week,” she chuckled, standing up.

Louis felt like his tongue was stuck to the roof of his mouth, and it looked like Harry was in the same situation. What was happening right now? He had expected her to see through their ruse as a well-established couples therapist, but to assume that they were really together? Just from 30 minutes?

“I’ll kindly not see this as a prank, Mr. Styles, but do not try to deceive me again,” Dr. Alexander ushered them back to the waiting room. “I do hope everything works out.” And she left, with one last wink at Louis.

Numbly and silently, the pair walked out of the building, down the pavement, and across the street. Finally, Louis couldn’t take it anymore.

“Is your name really Harry Styles?”

“Do you want to get lunch?”

Harry blurted out a question at the same time, before looking down and scuffing his shoe on the pavement. Despite begging a slot from a couples therapist and dragging a stranger with him off the street, Harry was surprisingly shy.

“I asked first!” Louis straightened up, his hair still not even reaching Harry’s forehead. “Was this all set up by you as a prank? Is Harry Styles a porn name?”

At that, Harry let out a honk that he hastily covered with his hand. “A porn name?!” 

Louis harrumphed, “It’s deceivingly good-sounding, you have to admit it.”

Harry smiled, his emerald eyes sparkling at him, “Yes, it’s my real name. And I really did have a fiance named Samuel Graham. He agreed to try one last time with this appointment, but I found him fucking his gym trainer this morning.”

“Why me?” Louis had to know, “Did you just pick the first bloke you saw?”

“Well, I saw you while we moved in. You were smoking with a guy who looks like a young David Beckham? You had these really kind eyes and your arms--” Harry cut off as he blushed. He hid his face within his ginormous hands.

“My arms, eh?” Louis teased, playfully trying to pull Harry’s hands away from his red face. “Just a hunk of meat, am I?”

“No!” Harry earnestly stepped forward, his still-present blush now forgotten. “You were teasing your friend and your arms flexed while smoke was coming from your mouth and-- I asked Sam if he could really see you because I wasn’t sure if I was dreaming or not.”

Louis could feel his ears going red, “So your offer for lunch wasn’t just to pay me back for the shitshow you blindly threw me into?”

“I’m sorry!” Harry whined. “I had just finished packing my stuff and crying and then I saw you. And you looked like a dream again and then you just followed me! Are you sure you’re real?”

Louis leaned forward and pinched Harry hard on the thigh as they walked into their apartment’s elevator.

“Ow!” Harry giggled even as he rubbed the spot. “I’ll pay you back with lunch and then maybe your number? So I can take you out for dinner to pay you back for whatever I do at lunch, naturally.”

“Naturally,” Louis agreed, a growing smile tugged at his face until it ached. He reached forward to press the button for his floor, “Let me just stop at my flat to change, hopefully my roommates have stopped fucking.”

As Harry walked him to his door, Louis marvelled on what a wonderful day today was.

**Author's Note:**

> Check out my blog slytherinzouis and talk to me!


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